McGee's Memory
by flashwitch
Summary: McGee wakes up with no memory, covered in blood. McAbby fic. nothing explicit, but does deal with adult themes. I do not own NCIS.


**Warning: quite a dark fic, adult themes. Also i wrote this about three years ago,maybe even longer. So, jenny stil alive. it isn't my best story and the formatting sucks. sorry about that. **

* * *

McGee's Memory. (may contain some strong language.)

* * *

**Chapter 1**

4 days ago.  
McGee wakes up. He is alone in a small hotel room. His clothes are thrown across the floor. He tries to sit up and groaned. He aches all over. He looks down at himself and gasped. There is blood. Now. Gibbs walks into the bullpen.

"Ziva, DiNozzo, Grab your gear." He said as he continued walking. "McGee go to Abby's lab. There's going to be a lot of evidence."

"Dead Marine, Boss?" Tony asked as he picked up his ready bag.

"6" Gibbs replied. Tony and Ziva followed him out to the car whilst McGee headed over to the elevator. He grinned as he got in then saw Tony looking back and hastily pulled on a serious face. DiNozzo sighed and shook his head.

"Shotgun!" he yelled as they exited the building. Ziva was sitting next to Gibbs as he drove to the scene. Tony was in the back looking grumpy.

"Fornell called me. We have 6 dead Marines in 3 hotel rooms. They weren't just killed, they were ripped apart." Gibbs explained. He screeched to a halt in front of a large hotel. They got out, taking their forensics kits. "It's on the 5th floor." He said, waving them on as Fornell approached.

"This is a bad one, Gibbs." He told the Boss. "6 dead, torn apart. They've been dead for days, already rotting. It's not pleasant." He handed Gibbs a large cup of coffee and they both sipped together.

"Think the kids can handle it?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah, they'll be fine. But I really want to get this guy Gibbs. It looks like he tortured these kids. They were on shore leave from their first assignment. They're young, only

children in uniform."

"We'll get him." Gibbs said and strode into the building as a coroner's van pulled up to the curb. Dr Mallard stepped out, followed by his assistant, Jimmy Palmer.

"You may need a bigger van, Ducky." Fornell said dryly as he followed them inside. Gibbs found Ziva and Tony in the hall on floor five. They were fingerprinting the doors to three rooms.

"Where do you want us to start boss?" asked Tony.

"Let's see what's behind door number one," Gibbs replied and opened the nearest door.

There was blood everywhere. Body parts strewn across the floor. The corpses had been eviscerated. Ducky and Palmer arrived, followed by Fornell who bid them farewell and left, passing the investigation over. Palmer took one look into the room and began to gag.

"Mr Palmer, please. If you're going to vomit, then please, at least do it elsewhere. Do not contaminate the evidence." Ducky said. Without a single word, Palmer went running down the hall, hand clutched at his mouth as he headed to the head.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the lab….

McGee was sitting on a stool by Abby. She was dancing along to some amazing music as she waited for the evidence. McGee didn't seem to be with it. He was staring into space, not even watching Abby dance. She glanced over at him, took a mouthful of Caff-Pow and switched off her music.

"McGee." He doesn't answer. "McGee….Earth to McGee!" He still didn't answer. She walked over and snapped her fingers before his face. He flinched into reality.

"What?" he asked, looking around in confusion.

"Are you okay?" she asked in concern. "You were completely out of it."

"Yeah, I just…" he sighed, rubbing his face. "I haven't been sleeping well lately."

"Aaaawww, McGee!" She said and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Thanks Abby."

* * *

At the hotel…

"Time of death, approximately, four to 6 days ago. I'll need to do further examination to be sure. Cause of death seems to be a single gunshot wound to the head on all the bodies and the dismemberment took place almost immediately after. Although, the other wounds, such as these burn marks seem to be pre-mortem. Oh, you poor boy." Ducky said. Then he and Palmer, back from the head and feeling better, bagged up each body part and took them back to the lab, leaving the team collecting evidence. They found several prints, lots of blood samples, hair follicles on one of the pillows, several torture implements, some with flesh seared to them, a burned document. Then, Tony found the most disturbing evidence. An NCIS cap.

"But the victims were Marines, no?" Ziva said. "They wouldn't have been wearing the cap."

"Then the perp was, Agent David." Gibbs replied.

"The killer is one of us," Tony said.

"Get this stuff to Abs," Gibbs told them, downing the last of his coffee.

* * *

The evidence arrives…

"McGee, why don't you run the prints, whilst I work on the blood samples?" she said.

"Sure," he said getting up and walking over to the computer.

They both avoided looking at the bloodstained ball cap in a zipped up evidence bag. The thought that one of their own could do something so heinous had shaken them all. Ziva had dropped off the evidence and then headed back to the hotel. She had been told to find out who the rooms had been rented to whilst Gibbs and Tony combed the other two rooms. McGee scanned the prints into the computer. Several of them got hits from the dead men and then… his face flashed on the screen. Timothy McGee.

"Abby," he said, quietly. She turned from the computer running DNA to look at him.

"What?" she said. Then a match flashed up on her screen. Some of the blood belonged to Tim McGee. He slowly unholstered his gun and laid it on the side. He placed his badge neat to it.

"I'm going to give you my handcuffs. I want you to arrest me."

"What? Why?" she was confused. He pointed at her screen in answer.

"I got a match here too. That and the cap…"

"McGee, I'm not going to arrest you!"

"You have to!" he exclaimed. "the evidence says I did this. And… Ducky says they died 4 days ago. Do you remember that day?"

"Sure, you…you were off sick…" she replied.

"Yeah. I…I didn't want to tell anyone. I didn't want anyone to know, but I woke up in a hotel room. It was a block away from where we found the bodies. I was hurt, bloodied and I can't remember anything. I lost two days. I don't want to know what I needed to forget so badly. But what all this means is that I could have done it. And if I did…. I don't want to hurt anyone else. I don't want to hurt you."

"Let me call Gibbs. He'll know what to do." She pleaded.

"Cuff me first. Then you can call him." She did so. As Gibbs picked up his cell, Ziva came running into the room.

"Just a second Abs," he said turning to Ziva.

"The rooms are registered to McGee!" she exclaimed, running in.

"WHAT?!" he raised his voice. "Abby," he raised his cell to his ear again. "You okay?"

"Yes…but McGee made me arrest him and he's worried he did it and all the evidence says he did but he can't have, it's McGee there's no way he did this!" she replied.

"McGee made you arrest him?" Gibbs asked as Tony and Ziva stare.

"Yes, he can't remember anything about the night they died."

"Okay. Abs, we're on our way back. Don't worry, it's going to be okay."

"But what if…?"

"Abs, he didn't do this. Take him to interrogation room one and then go get yourself a

Caff-Pow, take several deep breaths then go back to your lab and find me some evidence to get the sonofabitch that really did this. Understood?"

"But what if…."

"Understood, Abs?"

"Yes Gibbs."

"Good Girl." He hung up and the agents at the hotel turned and headed to the car as one.

* * *

Interrogation room one.

McGee is seated at the table, head in his cuffed hands. He stood and started to pace around and around the table, then abruptly sat down again. He shook his head and sighed. Then he went back to pacing. He had just sat down again when the door was thrown open and Gibbs walked in.

"What the hell happened!" he yelled at McGee.

"I…I don't know Boss. A few days ago, I woke up in a hotel room with no memory of how I got there, I was hurt and there was blood. A lot of it wasn't mine."

"Why didn't you come to me?"

"I couldn't! I don't want to remember. I've been having nightmares, I think… I think they tortured me. I don't want to know. I may have killed those Marines though. And it made me change my mind. I can't go through my life wondering if I murdered 6 people. I need to know what happened."

"Good McGee." Gibbs stood, head-slapped the probie. "That is for not telling me about this. Now, we **will**figure out what happened and why. You did not kill these people. Understood?"

"But.."

"Understood, McGee?"

"Yes Boss," he sighed.

* * *

Chapter 2

Gibbs opened the door to the lab and strode in holding a Caff-Pow. He found Abby stretched out on the floor. He ran towards her, first thought panic. If someone had attacked McGee then Abby might be next on their list. He couldn't deal if his team was being attacked. His fears dissipated as she rolled over at his touch.

"Five more minutes," she moaned as she rolled over. She was fast asleep!

"Abs, your computers on fire," he said, reusing a proven technique. She woke with a start and a call for McGee to save her baby, running over to the machine in question. Then she remembered. Gibbs, feeling guilty for reminding Abs about McGee, embraced the girl.

"You got anything?" he asked.

"I'm sorry Gibbs. I just sat down for a second while Major Mass-spec was running," She pointed. "I just sat down for a second."

"It's okay, Abs. I know you're tired. We all are. It's hard." They had worked through the night and the day to try and prove McGee's innocence and any amount of Caff-Pow wouldn't keep you awake forever.

"There were some prints that didn't match the victims or McGee. They were on the torture tools. That's the good news. The bad news is that there weren't any matches. But there is some unconfirmed DNA as well," she told him. "But there has to be something more. I will find the piece of evidence that proves McGee innocent. I'm trying to restore the document at the moment. There has to be something in there to save him. Tell me it's okay. Tell me we'll save him."

"It's okay. We will save him."

"Thanks, Gibbs. I'll get back to it and I won't fall asleep again, I promise."

"This may help with that," Gibbs replied handing her a Caff-Pow before he turned to leave and see Ducky. The girl sighed and went over to pick up Bert, her cuddly hippo, and hugged it tightly to her.

* * *

Down in autopsy.

"Duck, what have you got for me?"

"I can tell you that they were killed with a .44 revolver. NOT with McGee's service pistol," Ducky answered. There were six tables, filled with body parts. There was a seventh table with several menacing torture implements on it.

"Um...Agent Gibbs? Do you think that McGee could _do_ something like this?" Palmer asked, concerned.

"No, Palmer, I don't."

"Good. Because I don't think he did. The killer was incredibly strong and vicious and I think he attacked McGee. Can we get Abby to check on the flesh at the end of the implements? I think they were used on him."

"Yes," Ducky added. "And I will want to examine Timothy for marks consistent with the tools."

"Okay with me, Ducky. I'm going to talk to Tim." They turned and left. Jimmy continued with his examination of the closest body but his gaze kept being drawn to the torture tools which he was sure held the answer. Interrogation room one. McGee was curled in the corner, twisting and writhing in his sleep. He was tied down to a bed and a pair of men were approaching with vicious looking weapons. He struggled and fought. They hurt him. He could hear screams from a nearby room. There was blood on the men's hands. They'd killed before and they would again. He battled against the bindings holding his arms tight. They came towards him, brandishing their implements. He awoke with a start as Gibbs and Ducky entered. They'd been watching him sleep through the one way glass.

"How are you Timothy?" Ducky asked.

"I've been better, Ducky," Tim replied, sitting up carefully with his back to the corner. Gibbs crouched down opposite him.

"Ducky wants to check you over for any injuries. He thinks the torture tools may have been used on you."

"Really? Okay." Tim stood and Gibbs went back behind the glass while Ducky helped Tim take off his top and examine him for marks. There were several scars and faded burns on his torso consistent with the torture tools. They were ugly and puckered and some of them still oozed a clear fluid.

"You poor boy," Ducky said while he examined the wounds. "Didn't you get these wounds seen to?" It was obvious they had spent a lot of time making McGee suffer.

"No, Ducky. I didn't want to know what happened to me. I just wanted to forget that anything had. Anyway, they aren't that bad."

"While it is true that you were not as maltreated as the poor corpses lying on my tables, these wounds are serious and need tending," Ducky replied. He'd brought his bag with him and, after photographing the wounds, began treating them. After the examination, Ducky was understandably upset.

"They tortured him Jethro. They tied the poor boy down and tortured him! No wonder he doesn't remember, it must have been terrible. We have to stop these people. Now!"

"We will, Duck. But first, I have to make McGee remember."

"Is that really necessary? He suffered terribly, Jethro. Maybe it's a good thing his memory is gone."

"It will be a better thing when the bad guys are behind bars. If Tim's memory can help with that…." Gibbs shrugged.

Abby was soon in the interrogation room. She'd heard from Ducky that McGee had been tortured and therefore was almost definitely innocent. She ran in and gave the sad agent a Sq'hug. She really cared for the man.

"Abby!"

"Oh, McGee! I knew you didn't do it! I told Gibbs, I told you but you made me arrest you! I told you I didn't want to arrest you and that you couldn't murder anyone. Why didn't you listen to me!?"

"Abby, kind of needing to breathe here!"

"What? Oh, right." She released him and slid down to sit beside him on the floor. Tony burst in through the door.

"Probie! I hear you are no longer a suspect."

"When was he ever, really?" replied Abby.

"If you are not a suspect in this investigation then you need to get back to work! I think we should dock your pay for all the hours you've missed." Ziva came in then.

"Tony! Leave him alone. Don't you remember when you were wrongly accused? You

almost went around the corner."

"It's bend, Ziva." McGee said quietly.

"What?"

"Around the bend, Ziva." Tony replied. McGee smiled to himself. There was something oddly comforting in the fact that even with 6 dead Marines and him a suspect, the everyday interactions of the team remained just the same.

"Bend, corner," she shrugged. Gibbs walked in followed by a shrink.

"David, DiNozzo," he said.

"Yes Boss," they replied.

"We just eliminated our only suspect. Go find me another one." Everyone smiled at the implication to McGee's innocence.

"On it boss!" They exited together and were bickering before they reached the end of the hall.

"What about me, Gibbs?" Abby asked. "I've finished running the evidence and I think it could have been a doctor or vet or someone with access to their stores as medical grade ketamine was used. It's a tranquilizer. But, I've done all I can and passed the info on to Tony and Ziva."

"Then you can do what you like, Abs."

"Can I stay with McGee?"

"Up to him." They all looked at the worried man.

"Okay, sure," Tim replied.

"Tim, this is Dr Carl Simon. He is an expert in recovering memories. He wants to try and

help you remember," Gibbs explained.

"Okay, I guess." Tim stood up and reached down to help Abby to stand. They all went and sat around the table.

* * *

Chapter 3

6 days ago  
McGee was sitting having a quiet drink in a local bar. He had the latest draft of his new novel with him. He slowly read it through, marking changes or errors in pencil. A woman came over to talk to him. The bar is packed and he was surprised she noticed him.

"What are you writing?" she asked, playing with the swizzle stick in her drink.

"Oh, this is just a draft of a novel I'm writing."

"You're an author?"

"Yes, well, sort of. I've been published once. My main job is as a federal agent for NCIS."

"A fed? Really?"

"Yeah."

"Can I see your badge?"

"Sure." He fumbled to get it out of his pocket. She was hot! This sort of thing didn't happen to him.

"Cool!" she said taking the badge and holding it. "I've never met a real federal agent before. So, is NCIS like the FBI?"

They spoke for over an hour. They really hit it off. McGee couldn't believe his luck! Sure he'd had girlfriends but none as hot as this one who'd sought him out! The bar had begun to empty, it was getting late. That was when the room began to spin.

"Tim? Are you alright?"

"Yeah… I just…." Everything went dark. He awoke tied down to a bed in a hotel. The rope bit into his wrists. Then two men entered followed by the woman from the bar.

"Sorry," She immediately apologized.

"That's okay, just untie me and we'll be even," he replied, struggling against the ropes.

The men laughed.

"I can't do that," she said unhappily. They all approached the bed, making him uneasy.

"Sara, leave," one of the men said.

"But…."

"Do it!" She left. The taller man lifted a large black duffel onto the bed. From this he pulled several implements of torture, shining bright.

"Don't. Please don't. I am a federal agent with NCIS, if you harm me in any way, you will regret it."

"What we regret is what you did. Now we have a chance to make you suffer," the taller man spoke again. McGee turned to the other man who looked on him with hungry eyes.

"Please, if you let me go now, then they might be lenient with you."

"Shut up," the younger man said. They tortured him for a while after that, until he fell unconscious. They didn't ask him anything. They were just sadists, trying to hurt as best they could. When he awoke, she was there, bathing his forehead.

"I apologize for my brothers."

"Why are you doing this?"

"For our father. He deserves justice."

"What did I ever do to your father?" McGee asked, all the while working against his bindings.

"You shouldn't have to ask that." The brothers entered, stained with blood.

"Get away from him Sara. You shouldn't be in here. Why are you helping him? He's scum. He helped get Father killed."

"Your father's dead? I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about that."

"He's lying," Big Brother said harshly. "You think we don't know that you framed our dad and sent him down for life? You think that it was an accident that he got put in a cell with a maniac who killed him? You were the one who locked him up, testified at his trial. You and your team."

"You haven't hurt them have you?!"

"Not yet," Little Brother replied. They left, after collecting some of their tools and their sister. She fed him a glass of water before leaving though. It had an odd taste. When they'd collected their tools, they'd moved them around and had inadvertently placed one object within reach of McGee. He used his knees to lift it too his mouth so that he could work on his wrist bindings. He slowly became more and more drowsy and disoriented but managed to free his hands. Then he began working on his feet. He got free, finally and he could hear the kidnappers moving around in the hallway. He grabbed clothes and his wallet and burst out through the door, surprising the bad guys and knocking them down. He had them unconscious, fury giving him strength. He checked the other rooms but the Marines were already dead. He managed to get 3 blocks away before his disorientation forced him to find somewhere to lie down. He barely made it to a hotel where he almost immediately succumbed to sleep as the thought of drugs entered his head.

* * *

4 days ago.  
McGee awoke in a strange bed in a hotel room. He was alone. His clothes were strewn across the floor. He had blood on him, not all of it his. He tried to sit up and groaned in pain. He gathered his clothes, pulling them on slowly and carefully. His body protested. He had marks around his wrists. He paid for the room and caught a cab home, desperate just to get somewhere he felt safe. When he did get home, he called Gibbs and said he was ill. The Boss was suspicious, but he accepted McGee's story.

* * *

Interrogation room 1.

The shrink had hypnotized him and asked leading questions in a walk-through interview to help McGee's memory slowly reconstruct itself. The tranquilizer the sister gave him wasn't helping but finally, they had pieced together the missing two days. Abby squeezed the man's hand.

"If I'd got away sooner, if I'd told you, some of those men could still be alive."

"McGee, don't do that to yourself. It is not your fault," Gibbs said with an accompanying light headslap.

"Agent Gibbs is quite right. There was nothing you could do. Heavily tranquilized and tortured, it's a miracle you escaped alive!" The shrink said. He shook McGee's hand and then Gibbs lead him out. Abby and McGee sat there in silence and then she put her arms around him, gently hugging the poor, sad man.

"They're right McGee," she told him, her words muffled as her head was against his shoulder. "There was nothing you could do."

"I know, that's what's upsetting me so much. I hate feeling like that. I despise being so helpless," he replied.

"Come on," she released him, squirming so she was beneath his shoulder to help him stand. "Let's get you home. You look like you need about three years sleep!" McGee allowed himself to be helped to the bull-pen, but then he pulled away and went to sit at his desk.

"Probie, what the hell do you think you're doing?" DiNozzo asked.

"My job," McGee replied, sardonically, as he booted up his computer. Ziva, Tony and Abby ranged themselves before his desk. They folded their arms as one.

"McGee, you were held and tortured."

"I know I was Ziva, I was there."

"You need to take some time off Probie. You're no use around here," Tony told him.

"I'm the only one who's seen them; I'm the only one who knows what they want and why they attacked. I know one of their names and I know how they think. When you have all that information, then we can talk about me going home."

"Go home, McGee," Gibbs' voice came from the doorway as he entered. (How did he know what they were talking about?! I don't know...maybe Abby is right about him being psychic! ; )

"But Boss…"

"You told Abs and me what had happened and we'll have you meet with a sketch artist tomorrow. It's late, you're tired and you are going home," Gibbs said with a note of finality. "Tony drive him home and don't take no for an answer." He continued walking through the bullpen, up the stairs to the Director's office.

"On it, Boss!" DiNozzo called after him with a note of glee.

The Director's office.

"How is he?" Jenny asked.

"Coping. He'll be fine." Gibbs replied. "I think he's just relieved he didn't kill anyone."

"He didn't, right?" Jenny checked.

"Of course not! Can you imagine McGee killing anyone?"

"No, not really…"

"I'm going to get these guys, Jen. And when I do…." He suddenly spun and hit the wall

as hard as he could with a clenched fist.

"Jethro!" she cried. "Go home. Get some rest, sand your boat and calm down. I know you're upset and I know the thought of the animals that hurt one of your people walking around is killing you, but if you get angry then you'll screw up." She put her hand on his shoulder. "We don't have time for a temper tantrum. Either go home or cool off!"

"I'm okay, Jen. It just makes me sick. I have a lead to follow."

He stormed out of the office and back to the bullpen.

* * *

The Bullpen.

Ziva was sitting at her computer, running a search on all persons who had access to ketamine and trying to link them to McGee. She grinned at the Boss as he came to stand in front of her.

"I have found a Sara Cane who is a dentist's assistant. Her father stood trial for the murder of several Marines. He served with the dead men. McGee made the arrest and also testified to some computer evidence."

"Good work Ziva. Let's go pick her up."

In Tony's car.  
The Indiana Jones theme filled the air and was suddenly cut off as DiNozzo answered his cell.

"Yeah Boss?.......Sure…….on it. As soon as I drop Probie off." He hung up.

"Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"What was that about?"

"The Boss may have a lead."

"Then let's go!"

"McGoo, what's wrong with you? The Boss sent you home. He will be very, very, very angry if you just show up. And he'll be angry with me for letting you just show up. And I just don't mean a little angry, I talking Jack Nicholson in Anger Management when the eggs weren't over easy angry!"

"Tony, either you turn around and we follow this lead or you drop me off, I hack into the system, get into the GPS on your phone and meet you there. The first is easier and I won't have the opportunity to hack into your emails and hard-drive at the same time. It would be so easy to send out a herpes-alert from your email to everyone in your address book."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me." Tony turned the car in an illegal u-turn, turning on the siren as they went. They drove fast and dangerously. It was enough to make Ziva proud! They pulled up in front of an apartment building, behind the other NCIS car that was already pulled up to the curb. They entered, and saw Gibbs and Ziva enter the lift. Gibbs stopped the door from closing with his hand as he saw the wayward agents.

"DiNozzo!" he yelled. "What is he doing here?"

"He threatened me Boss!" DiNozzo said raising his hands. "I swear." Gibbs let out a breath in a barely audible laugh and then head-slapped DiNozzo he turned and gave McGee one as well then sighed and shook his head.

"Get in," he said, returning to the lift. Several uncomfortable seconds of silence followed. They emerged from the lift on the third floor and went up to apartment 22B. A woman answered the door. It was the hot woman McGee remembered approaching him in the bar. "Is it her?" Gibbs asked.

"Yep," McGee replied and immediately the team went into action as the woman turned to run. They burst into the apartment. Ziva leaped on the woman and got her in a hold, and then she slammed Sara's face into the floor. Blood spurted. Tony got his cuffs around the villain's wrists, tightening them.

* * *

Chapter 4

Interrogation room 1

The Gibblets stood in a row behind the mirrored glass. They were soon joined by Jenny, Abby, Ducky and even Palmer. Gibbs was standing with his arms folded staring silently at the woman they'd arrested. Her face was stained with her own blood from when her nose had gushed during the fight.

"I'm not going to tell you anything!" Gibbs stared. "There's nothing to tell you anyway. What am I even being charged with?" Gibbs stared. "I don't know what you want." Gibbs leaned forward, putting his hands on the desk and leaning over. "I'll only tell him." She gave up, folded her arms and nodded at the glass.

"McGee," he said to the mirror. Seconds later the agent walked in, and sat down immediately, opposite the woman and tried to catch her eye. Gibbs stood behind him, arms folded and looking rather menacing.

"It wasn't my idea," she said quickly. "I didn't want to. They made me!"

"Why?" McGee asked.

"Our dad was killed in prison. My brothers were both serving and couldn't get back in time to see him. We know that he didn't do it. Dad would never hurt anyone! You made a mistake or you set him up. We know that the Marines in his crew hated him. They set him up!" she exclaimed.

"Where are they?" McGee asked.

"They…they keep a little flat not far from here. But they get deployed tomorrow."

"Address. Now!" Gibbs added.

In the SUV…

Gibbs is driving with Tim riding shotgun. Tony and Ziva are riding in the back. They sit in silence. They finally arrive at the building where the brothers are living. They make their way up to the 4th floor. They were sharing a small apartment here. The agents surround the door with guns drawn and, at a nod from Gibbs, Tony shoulders open the door allowing them all to burst into a living room.

"Clear!" Gibbs shouted of the living room.

"Clear!" Tony shouted of bedroom 1.

"Clear!" Ziva cried in the kitchen.

"They're in here!" McGee yelled from bedroom 2. He had his gun trained on the older brother. The younger one was seated at a desk nearby. One wall was covered in a shrine to their deceased father. The elder brother leaped at McGee forcing him to shoot. He took a leg shot even though the situation made taking a kill shot valid. He didn't want to become that which he fought. The younger brother twitched as though preparing to attack but…

"Don't even think it." Gibbs said from the doorway. He, Ziva and Tony were all there,

with their guns trained on the little brother.

Later in the Bullpen…

McGee was alone in the Bullpen sitting at his desk. The computer was on and he was looking through the case file for the siblings' father. He was doubting himself. Looking back, it did seem entirely possible that the evidence could have been faked. Gibbs walked in and took in how McGee was feeling and what he was doing with one glance.

"McGee. Don't do that. The arrest was good. We got the bad guy. Don't beat yourself up for doing the right thing." He told the junior agent. He was about to continue when he saw Abby exit the lift. He grinned. The girl would know how to handle McGee. Gibbs headed out.

"McGee, what're you doing?" Abby asked. "You should be home in bed! It's been a long week!"

"I just want to go over this case…"

"What case?" She looked over his shoulder. "McGee! You don't believe them do you? They're bad guys, they lie! Anyway, all the evidence said their dad killed those people."

"I know it's just… they seemed so sure."

"They were psycho! I processed all the evidence that lead you to their dad. Are you saying that I screwed up?!"

"No! No, God, no! Abby, I just…"

"Good! Because I didn't! And neither did you. You shouldn't doubt yourself on the word of a couple of criminals. Now," she held out her hand, "Let's go home." He looked into her smiling face and then took the outstretched hand. They left together, walking slowly, hand in hand.

* * *

**The End**


End file.
